Hand, Wrist, and Arm Pain, Explained

Aching wrists, sore elbows, stabbing pains in your hands and fingers … what’s going on? These conditions are common and have several causes. Here’s what to know to prevent and treat these problems.

Contributed by Corinne E. Wee, MD | Plastic Surgery

The most common reason for pain in your hands, wrists, elbows or fingers? Overuse. That can be the fun kind—like overdoing it in pickleball—or the less fun variety, such as repetitive motions at work. The important thing is to seek help if you’re hurting, says Corinne Wee, MD, a plastic surgeon at the MetroHealth Hand and Upper Extremity Center who specializes in hand injuries.

Common seasonal injuries and health concerns:

Tendonitis

This is when the tendons that originate near the elbow become inflamed and irritated, leading to soreness during or after activity. It used to be called “tennis elbow” but these days doctors refer to it as “pickleball elbow,” one of several injuries they see from this popular sport.

Mommy wrist

This is a type of tendonitis common in new parents (and overzealous phone-scrollers). It happens from repeatedly overextending your thumb, such as when you hold a baby or child. It causes pain in the thumb side of your wrist and can make simple moves like turning doorknobs or holding objects painful.

Other injuries that affect people include:

Trigger finger

This is characterized by pain, clicking and locking in your hand where your fingers meet your palm. Over time, your fingers may get stuck in a bent position, and you may even need to use your other hand to straighten your fingers.

Carpal tunnel syndrome

Worsened by repetitive motions at work (for example, typing) or play (video games), carpal tunnel syndrome happens when the nerve that runs through your wrist into your hand become compressed and inflamed. You may feel pain, numbness, and tingling even when you’re not doing the activity that caused it.

Prevention is key

Protect hands and wrists from overuse injuries:

Ramp up activity slowly. If it’s been a while since you played a sport, start easy and go from there.
Take breaks. Take days off from playing pickleball, or computer work, and don’t do that activity as often or for as long on the days that you do it.
Give it a rest. If you start noticing nagging pain, rest the hand, wrist or elbow that’s bothering you. Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication, and/or icing the area, can help.

Prevention is key

If rest, ice, and pain relievers don’t work, or if your symptoms are getting in the way of normal activities, it’s time to see a doctor. Most of these conditions can be helped with splinting, rest, and hand therapy, or you may need steroid injections. Surgery is a final option, and MetroHealth offers several outpatient procedures that can help.